Curtain or other article support or bracket



June 17, 1930. E. ARMSTRCQDNGI 7 1,763,737

CURTAIN OR OTHER ARTICLE SUPPORT QR BRACKET Filed July 15 1925 fixy w 24 TTOR/VE'K.

Patented June 17, 193% UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELIOT ARMSTRCNG, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 NIAGARA METAL STAMPING CQRPORATION, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK CURTAIN OR OTHER ARTICLE SUPPORT 0R BRACKET Application filed July 15,

This invention relates to improvements in article supports or brackets, and particularly to devices of this character commonly known as curtain holders, which are used for the purpose of supporting the lower portions of window curtains and draperies in position at the sides of a window. so as to prevent the curtains from dragging across the window sill, 01' against fly screens, thus becoming soiled when the window is open.

The objects of the present invention are to provide an improved curtain bracket or holder comprising an attaching member, and an arm adapted to be secured to the attaching member so as to extend horizontally therefrom in difierent angular relations, so that the brackets may be attached at opposite sides of a window or any adjacent vertical surface, regardless of whether said surface is parallel with orperpendicular to the window; also to provide a device of this character having quick detachable means whereby the arm may be readily secured to and removed from the attaching member; and also to provide a bracket having an arm provided with a portion at one end thereof for permitting said arm to be detachably secured to the attaching member of the bracket in a novel manner soas to extend horizontally therefrom in operative position, and with a part atthe opposite end thereof for detachably securing the arm to the attaching member so thatthe arm will extend yer-- tically downwards adjacent the supporting surface in an inoperativeposition and in which position the arm will be prevented from swinging about and rattling, said latter end part also constitutinga curtain or article retaining portion at the outer end of the' arm when said arm is in its operative post tion. d

Other objects of the invention are to improve and simplify curtain sup-porting brackets or devices in the other respects'here after specified and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,j Fig. 1 is a horizontal section of a window sash and easing showing two curtain holding brackets, embodying this invention, ar-

1925. Serial No. 43,758.

ranged in operative position at opposite sides thereof.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of my improved curtain holder.

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the attaching member of the bracket and a portion of the arm'thereof in one position in full lines, and in two alternative positions in broken lines.

Fig. l is a perspective View of the attaching member of the bracket, and one end of the bracket arm arranged thereon in its inoperative position.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the attaching member, and an end of the arm as it appears when being positionedin operative relation to said attaching member.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the curtain holder or bracket includes an attaching member or plate 10 preferably formed of sheet metal and having a. securing portion 11 provided. with apertures 12, for the receptionof screws or fastening devices 13 whereby said member may be rigidly attached to a vertical support or surface, and a retaining portion 14 extending substantially horizontally therefrom, and which is formed so as to detachably hold and retain a curtain engaging arm mitting the arm 15 to be detachably connected thereto in the various positions stated,

-the means shown preferably comprising a plurality-of holes or apertures 17, and the arm or rod '15 has the inner end thereof formed or constructed in a novel manner, whereby the same may cooperate with the apertures 17 to provide quick detachable means for securing the arm 15 in 1ts operatlve position extending horizontally from the attaching member, the arm being maintamed in Such connection by its own weight. For

this purpose, the aforementioned end of the arm 15 is offset in two directions, as clearly shown in F 2 and 5, so as to provide a hook having an upwardly extending short end 18, a substantially horizontally extending intermediate portion 19, and a short downwardly extending portion 20 connectingsaid portion 19 with the body portion of the arm, all of said portions 18, 19 and 20 preferably being disposed in a plane lengthwise of said arm. Upon reference to the drawings, it will be noted that the apertures 17 in the attaching member 10 are disposed so that their centers, when connected by straight lines will form a square, one diagonal of which extends parallel to the attaching portion 11, and the other diagonal of which extends perpendicular thereto. lVhile the particular arrangement and disposition of the holes 17 shown provides the most compact arrangement, the holes 17 may be arranged or disposed in other ways, as long as one or more pairs of holes are disposed in parallel relation to the supporting surface and one or more pairs of holes are disposed in perpendicular relation to said surface.

The distance between the axes of the portions 18 and 20 of offset end of the arm 15 is substantially equal to the distance between centers of diagonally opposite pairs of holes 17. Therefore, by passing the portion 18 of the arm into any one of the outer three holes 17, and moving the arm so as to bring the portion 20 thereof into this selected hole, as shown in Fig. 5, and then lowering the outer end of the arm, the inner end 18 may be raised so as to enter the diagonally opposite hole'17 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 and. in dotted lines, Fig. 5, in which position the arm will be maintained by its own weight in horizontal position.

It will be readily seen, therefore, that by the construction described, including the arrangement of the holes 17, the arms may occupy either one of three positions with reference to the attaching portion 10, as shown in Fig. 3, two of these positions being further illustrated in Fig. 1. The curtain bracket is, therefore, adapted for use in positions in which the vertical supporting surfaces for the brackets are disposed in different angular relations.

The means provided in accordance with this invention for supporting the arm or rod 15 in an inoperative position on the attaching member 10 comprises a hook 22 formed on the outer end of the arm, and which includes an end or return portion 23 extending substantially parallel to the body portion of the arm towards the opposite end thereof. The distance between axes of the portion 28 and the body portion of the arm is substantially equal to the distance bet-ween centers of adj acent holes 17 of the attaching member 10. If therefore the arm is tilted upwardly so as to disconnect the end portion 18 from the member 11), then by passing the portion 20 downwardly through that hole 17 in which it may be disposed, the body portion 15 may be continued downwardly through this hole until the outer hooked end is brought adjacent to the attaching member 10, whereupon the portion 23 may 'be passed into an adjacent hole 17, as shown in Fig. 4, thereby allowing the arm to depend vertically from the attaching member 10 adjacent the supporting surface. Owing to the curvature of that portion of the hook member which lies between the end portion 23 and the body portion of the arm, said arm will be tightly held by friction in engagement with the sides of the holes 17 in which it is positioned. The arm is thus held substantially stationary, and is prevented from being moved by the wind or air currents, so that rattling of the arm against the supporting surface is prevented.

When the bracket or holder is in use the hooked outer end of the arm 15 acts to prevent the curtains from slipping off the arm. The bracket is also adapted to be used as a support for other articles, said hooked end being capable of maintaining the articles in position on the bracket. Obviously, if the distance between the outer end portion 23 and the body portion of the arm were equal to the distance between diagonally opposite holes 17 of the attaching member 10, this hooked end could be enga 'edin diagonally opposite holes 17 instead or adjacent holes, shown.

lVhile the attaching member 10 is shown as being formed of sheet metal, and the arm 15 is shown as being formed of a portion of round rod or wire, these members may be formed of other material, and the arm 15 and the holes 17 may be of other than circular shape if desired, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

The curtain supporting bracket described is very simple, inexpensive to produce, calls for a minimum number of operations in its manufacture, being made of stock material such that detaching portion 10 requires only stamping to shape, and having the holes punched therein, while the rod 15 merely requires bending to shape.

The device is adapted to be used in a wide variety of situations, and in addition to its use as a curtain holder, may also be used as a supporting bracket for other articles, such as garments or the like, bird cages, and. many other articles or objects.

I claim as my invention 1. In a bracket of the character described, the combination of an arm having an end thereof formed with a pair of spaced, offset portions, and an attaching member adapted to be secured to a support and including a horizontal plate having a plurality of spaced holes arranged in pairs in different angular relations to one another, whereby said end of the arm may be detachably connected to said plate so as to extend in different directions therefrom, by threading the ofiset portions of said arm through the differentpairs of apertures, the directions in which the arm extends depending upon the particular pair of apertures with which the offset portions are engaged.

2. I11 a bracket of the character described, the combination of an arm having an end thereof, formed with a pair of spaced, offset portions, and an attaching member adapted to be secured to a support, and having a plurality of spaced holes arranged in a group to form pairs of holes disposed respectively in difi'erent diagonal relations to each other, said offset portions of said arm being adapted to loosely engage in different selected pairs of said holes, whereby said arm is adapted to be detachably connected to and extend from said attaching member in different angular positions relatively thereto.

3. In a bracket of the character described, the combination of an attaching member adapted to be secured to a support and having a flat, horizontal portion formed with a pair of apertures therein, a supporting arm having one end formed to be loosely and detach ably connected in said apertures in said attaching member so that said arm may extend horizontally therefrom in operative position, and said arm having its other end formed to engage in both of said apertures in a manner to permit said arm to be detachably connected to and depend from said attaching member in an inoperative stationary position.

at. In a bracket of the character described, the combination of an attaching member adapted to be secured to a support and having a pair of apertures therein, a supporting arm having one end bent to form offset por' tions adapted to be detachablyengaged in said apertures in said attaching member to permit said arm to extend horizontally from said member in operative position, the other end of said arm terminating in a U opening lengthwise of the arm and whose sides are detachably engageablein said apertures at one time, for supporting said supporting arm in an approximately vertical position.

5. In a bracket ofthe character. described,

the combination of an attaching member adapted to be secured to a support-and having a flat, horizontal portion formed with pairs af apertures therein disposed in different angular relations tosaid support, and a supporting arm having one end formed with two offset portions adapted to extend into any selected pair of said apertures to permit said arm to project horizontally in operative position at different angles relatively to said attaching member, said offset portions being detachably held in connection with said apertures by the weight of said arm.

6. A bracket device comprising a supporting member having an apertured plate-like shaped end upon the upper face of said pro-- jection, the opposite end of said rod being doubled back on itself to form another longitudinally opening U having. its arms spaced apart a distancecorresponding to the dis tance between the'arms of the U at the said oneend of the rod, whereby the rod also may be attached to said member so as to depend stationarily therefrom, by threading the U at said opposite end through said apertures successively.

7. A bracket device comprising a supporting member having an apertured plate-like projection, and a rod terminating at one end in a laterally opening U-shape, with the distance between the arms of the U approximately equal to the distance between a pair of said apertures of said projection, whereby said rod may be detachably connected to said member by threading the arms of the U successively through said apertures, and resting the portion of the arm adjacent the U-shaped end upon the upper face of said projection, the apertures in said member being arranged in pairs for interengagement by said rod, and said pairs being arranged in different relations'to one another for supporting said rod in a plurality of different positions dependingupon which pair of apertures said rod is engaged with.

8. A bracket device comprising an angular member of sheet metal with apertures in one of the arms thereof, and a rod of uniform size throughout its length bent angularly at one end to provide a laterally opening U- shaped terminal with the distance between the arms of the terminal approximately equal tothe distance between a pair of apertures in said one arm of said member, whereby said rod may be detachably connected to said one -arm of the member by threading the armsof the terminal;successively through said pair of apertures and resting the portion of the rod adjacent said terminal upon the upper face of said apertured armof the member.

' '9. A bracket device comprising an angular member of sheet metal with apertures in one of the arms thereof, and a rod of uniform size throughout its length bent angularly at both ends to provide U-shaped terminals, the

terminals at one end having the opening of its U facing laterally and that at the other end having the opening of its U facing the said one end, the distance between the arms of each U being approximately equal to the dis tance between a pair of the apertures in one arm of said member, whereby either end of said rod may be detachably connected to said member by threading the arms of the U at either end successively through said pair of apertures.

10. A bracket device comprising an angular member of sheet metal with apertures in one of the arms thereof, and a rod of uniform size throughout its length bent angularly at one end to provide a laterally opening U-shaped terminal with the distance between the arms of the terminal approximately equal to the distance between a pair of apertures in said one arm of said member, whereby said rod may be detachably connected to said one arm of the member by threading the arms of the terminal successively through said pair of apertures and restingthe portion of the rod adjacent said terminal upon the upper face of said apertured arm of the member. the apertures in said member being arranged in pairs for interengagement by said rod, and said pairs being arranged in difierent relations to one another for supporting said rod in a plurality of different angular positions depending upon which pair of apertures said rod is engaged with.

11. A bracket device comprising an angular member of sheetmetal with a plurality of apertures arranged in pairs in one of the arms thereof, the apertures of each pair being equally spaced apart, and a rod of uniform size throughout its length bent angularly at one end to provide a laterally opening U-shaped terminal with the distance between the arms of the terminal approximately equal to the distance between the apertures of one of said pairs in said one arm of said member, whereby said rod may be detachably connected to said one arm of the member by threading the arms of said terminal successively through the apertures of any pair thereof in said member, with the free projecting portion of said rod resting upon 5 the upper face of said apertured arm of said member.

12. A bracket device comprising a supporting member formed for attachment to a vertical object for support therefrom and having a horizontally projecting sheet portiou, said sheet portion having a pair of spaced apertures, and a rod formed at one end with three approximately right-angular successive bends providing an approximately U-shaped terminal opening transversely of the length of the rod, the distance between the arms of the U being approximately equal to the distance between said apertures, so that the U-shaped end of said rod may be detachably connected to said supporting member by threading the arms of the U successively through said apertures and resting the extending portion of said rod upon said sheet portion.

ELIOT ARMSTRONG. 

